The present invention provides a gellation resistant aqueous glycol or glycol ether composition.
Antifreeze compositions containing glycols and various corrosion inhibitors are well known in the prior art as is illustrated by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,282,846, dated Nov. 1, 1966, and 3,362,910 dated Jan. 9, 1968. The use of the relatively inexpensive and effective borax and silicates in glycol formulations is well illustrated by these patents. It is conventional in this art to make a glycol concentrate which is then sold to end users for use as a coolant in automotive radiators and the like after dilution with water.
In the past, it has been found that glycol concentrates prepared using conventional corrosion inhibitors such as borax and silicates had a tendency to develop irreversible silicate gels upon standing for a period of time in a warehouse or store. The end user, when he attempted to pour the glycol concentrate into his automotive radiator found that the concentrate had developed "slugs" or gels which either did not pour readily or which tumbled out in discrete masses along with the liquid. The present invention was developed to eliminate this gel formation.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,622, dated 4-4-67, there is disclosed a corrosion resistant glycol composition containing an organo-silicon copolymer having carboxylate salt groups and silicate groups.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,149,985 dated 4-17-79, there is disclosed that a gellation resistant glycol composition containing borate and silicate additives can be made wherein the order of addition of the additives and the pH of the solution is closely controlled in order to obtain the gellation resistant formulation.
In Ser. No. 939,100, filed Sept. 1, 1978, now abandoned there is disclosed the use of a small but effective amount of the hydrolyzate of organo phosphorous silicon compounds to inhibit the gellation of glycol compositions these silicon compounds have the formula: EQU (RO).sub.3 Si(CH.sub.2).sub.n O--P(O)(CH.sub.3)--OR
wherein R is an alkyl group of 1-4 carbons and n is an integer of 1-4.
While these hydrolyzate compounds have proved to be effective they are expensive and/or difficult to obtain.